Keys to Life
by percychased
Summary: They say you only find true love once. 10 post-war moments in the life of Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, in the form of drabbles.
1. First Girl

_There can never be enough Romione love - thus, this drabble collection. It'll be 10 post-war moments. Emily xx._

* * *

Hermione grinned widely; a completely happy smile, a rarity for her.

It was as though her happiness was contageous, because Ron was smiling just as wide as she was.

"One of our own," Hermione murmured, her eyes twinkling. Ron took her hand into his and began rubbing circles with his thumb into her palm, in a soothing, relaxing motion.

"I can't even imagine it," he admitted, laying a hand on her flat stomach. He scrutinized it with his eyes, as if he was searching for a bump that wasn't there. He pulled his hand away.

"It's not going to show immediately," she laughed.

"_I know _- but there's something _in there,_" said Ron, as if it were the most alien thing on earth, triggering his wife to roll her eyes.

"Our _baby, _yes," she said slowly.

"Blimey..." he replied, eyes going comically wide.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at his face, trying to decipher his emotion. "Are you sure you're happy about this? You said you'd like children, and we really couldn't wait much longer -"

"It's just a surprise, that's all," he said calmly, in the face of his wife's worrying.

"A _good _surprise, right?"

"Definitely."

* * *

_Hera; Gods and Goddesses Competition._


	2. His Rose

The first time Ron saw Rose, it was breathtaking. That little girl was his - part of him - and the moment he saw her for the first time, he knew he would never let anything happen to her. His baby girl. His Rose.

When she skinned her knee chasing Hugo around in the backyard, Ron was always there. He'd wipe away her tears and fix up her knee.

He'd swing her around and give her piggyback rides.

He even learned to braid her hair. (George called him a pansy, but it was worth it...)

When Rose got her Hogwarts letter for the first time, he sat with her. Ron was the first person to hug her, right then. He took her to Ollivanders, beaming at her new wand. He took her to the pet shop, letting her pick out a beautiful, fluffy-white owl that she named Tyler.

When Rose passed her OWLs, earning an impressive ten of them, her father was the first one to congratulate her, taking her out to Florean Fortescue's for ice cream, with Hugo tagging along.

Although he would never admit it to George (who teased him mercilessly) he did cry at Rose's Hogwarts graduation. His Rose was becoming a big girl, not the little toddler who giggled while playing in the backyard and cried when Hugo tripped her.

Ron was the one who walked her down the aisle to her true love, and his enemy's son. (It just goes to show that sometimes genetics don't really matter, do they?) That night, they danced to a Muggle song Hermione picked out - I Loved Her First. There wasn't a single dry eye in the whole wedding, and Ron would never forget the sad moment he handed over his daughter to Scorpius Malfoy, and the moment when a Weasley, his Rose, became a Malfoy.

He was there for the birth of her first child - his baby, baby Rose, was having her own baby. And Ron watched from the sidelines as Scorpius Malfoy gazed at his newborn daughter with loving eyes, remembering himself doing the same thing.

Ron finally understood the meaning of what comes around, goes around.

* * *

_Nothing like Ron/Rose family fics. :) Review, please!_


	3. Fight Together

She dropped the Basilisk teeth, and for a millisecond I could see the passionate fire in her eyes, alive and flaming. She ran at me, and this time I was prepared. Being a whole head taller than her, I caught her slim body in my arms, twirling her around and meeting her lips.

I could hear Harry behind us, yelling.

But that wasn't important right now – it was Hermione and I, _together, _and oh, Merlin, I should have opened my eyes earlier because this was better than I had ever expected. We could fight this war together, side by side.

* * *

_100 Words Drabble Challenge. Exactly 100 words, without A/N._


	4. Love You

Oh, Merlin.

This was it. They had been dancing around it for years and year, and here it was.

Ron was flushed, and rubbing the back of his neck like he always did when he was nervous. Hermione stood still, rooted to her spot by some invisible force.

"Look –er – I'm… not good with words. Like this. And I don't know. I don't… but I just want you to know one thing. I… er… I love you, Hermione. Maybe next time or all of the times I say it, I won't stutter or anything… but Merlin, I'm nervous, and we all know that I'm – er – no good with feelings. But I'd just like to say this before I lose my nerve. I love you. I'm infatuated with you – uh, that sounded a bit weird. But you're pretty, and all those mean things I've ever said to you – I'm sorry. I don't mean them. I love you, I do, I really do."

"All you had to do was say it," she smiled. "I love you too, Ron."

* * *

a/n - such a sap. well, hope you liked, and enjoy!

written for the 101 Ways to Say "I Love You" competition.


	5. Mission

_Dear Hermione,_

_I know I'm pants at writing letters and I'm really sorry for this, since you probably send more than you receive._

_The mission is going well - I'm not really allowed to tell you anything through the letter, just in case it's intercepted. But we're around the place with the lake and the deer, if you understand what I'm saying._

_How are Rose and Hugo doing? I got a letter from Rose, and I wrote back - I sent it just a moment ago. I'm using the spare owl for this letter, and watch out - it's vicious. _

_I know it's been a while since we've seen each other but you and the children are my first priority and I'm looking forward to seeing you again. It's much better with you around telling me to get something useful done rather than Harry - I've beaten him at chess 19-4 and I think he's writing a Hermione-worthy essay to Ginny, because that bloody quill of his hasn't stopped scratching for an hour._

_Love, _

_Ron_

_P.S. Let George know that I'll get him back for this one. He put bubotuber pus in my desk and it exploded all over me before we left on the mission. _

* * *

a/n - well, letters are just cute and very romantic. c:

_The Greenhouses Competition, Iris_

_If You Dare, #307 Chess_


	6. Picture

Ron really wasn't one for hanging pictures. Not at all.

But there was one picture he completely and utterly loved, one that he would put on every single wall if Hermione would let him.

A picture of four smiling faces. Himself, with his arm around his wife and her gazing up at him, smiling widely. Hugo was sandwiched in between them, in Hermione's arms, babbling in baby-language and waving him arms in wild motions. The beach behind them was silent and peaceful, and even now he could remember the ocean salt in the air, the soft sand between his toes.

Rose was standing on the ground beneath them, with her curly hair caught in clumps of sand, and a sand pail by her feet. Sand clung to her skin, and a wide smile was plastered on her face.

It was such an ordinary day, but the war taught him to enjoy the ordinary. To cherish it.


	7. Perfection

Harry ran his fingers through his inordinately messy hair nervously. Ginny had tried, to no avail, to flatten it this morning, but it was still as stubborn as ever.

See, Harry had a perfectly good reason to be nervous. Despite the fact that he wasn't the one getting married - Ginny and himself married a little over a year ago - the two people closest to him were getting married, his two best friends. That was a good enough reason, he thought.

Even though they bickered and argued and complained about the other, there was no other two people perfectly suited for each other. (Perhaps himself and Ginny, but that was a matter of opinion.) He wondered how surprised he would have been, if ten years ago, in his second year of Hogwarts, someone had told him the ever-arguing Ron and Hermione would one day walk down the aisle, he would probably thought it was completely ridiculous.

In hindsight, Harry thought, he should have seen it coming. They were perfect for each other.

* * *

a/n - excuse my lack of updating skills, please.


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